GADAG: The police on Wednesday filed a case against 191 villagers and arrested 21 of them following an alleged communal clash at Chikkavaddatti village of Mundargi taluk in Gadag district. The violence was triggered after a young man drank water from the farm of a farmer who belonged to another community on Monday evening.
The Mundargi police, however, denied a communal angle to the violence, saying there was a minor scuffle during Shivarathri over an old rivalry, which escalated on Monday night. An FIR has been filed against 122 persons from SC communities and 69 from STs. The village remained tense even on Wednesday, despite heavy police presence since Monday night.
In all, 32 villagers were injured in the ckash, 15 of them seriously, and were admitted to Gadag district hospital.
Superintendent of police Rohan Jagadish visited the village and took stock of the situation. A police official from the Mundargi police station said, “We registered an FIR against 191 villagers, and a tight vigil is being kept at the village.
The villagers have been warned not to continue with the violence. Now the situation is under control.”